k850
Latest
Sony Ericsson K850 poster for AT&T spotted in the wild
Okay, first, a word of caution: we've heard some conflicting reports that the K850 may have been canceled from AT&T's roadmap because it missed its "launch window." That being said, this poster -- spotted in an actual retail location, not deep in an AT&T workshop somewhere -- sure makes us believe it's still very much in the works. Come on, guys, you're not going to let Rogers show you up, are you?Also, what's this business about "video phone" and "video calls"? Sounds an awful lot like honest-to-goodness two-way video instead of that whole Video Share thing, doesn't it?[Thanks, brainsonthemonitor]Update: Several sources at AT&T stores have told us that they've been commanded by corporate to toss their K850 promotional materials in the trash. Doesn't sound like a good sign, and if the device is indeed canceled, we think it's a tragedy both for AT&T and for Sony Ericsson's North American presence.
Rogers launching Sony Ericsson K850i?
We've heard rumblings -- yes, "rumblings" plural -- that Rogers is poised to launch Sony Ericsson's Cyber-shot K850i by the end of the first quarter. With its lovely 5 megapixel camera, xenon flash, trick keypad lighting, and HSDPA, that's just fine with us if it pans out, and we're guessing there are more than a few Rogers customers who'd agree. Even better, we have some numbers to pass along: rumor has it that the phone'll run $199.99 CAD (about $199) on a three-year contract, and Rogers will do ya the favor of throwing in an 8GB memory card to boot.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony Ericsson set to release the K850 Quicksilver black edition?
Apparently one of Sony Ericsson's flagship products, the K850 is getting refit in a more business oriented shade, silver and black. The current lineup features both Luminous Green and Velvet Blue -- both rather sharp-looking in our opinion -- may benefit from a color overhaul. Nothing changing in the specs here, just the housing, but we'll take what we can get when it comes to handsets in the US 3G spectrum. No word on pricing or availability, we'll just have to wait until when -- or if -- they announce it.Update: Michell over at the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog has posted up some live pics, follow the read link to have a gander
The Boy Genius Report: AT&T gets Vu in January, K850i in March
Field tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, The Boy Genius.Remember way back when we caught wind that AT&T was eying Sony Ericsson's initial American 3G efforts -- the Z750 and K850 -- for release? Well, it's looking good! This slide, imploring employees to focus on "exclusives," shows us that AT&T has locked onto launching a version of the K850 as the "Ansel" (seriously?) come next March. Seems like an awfully long time to wait, but in the meantime, we can check out the MediaFLO-equipped LG Vu in January. Why must you make it so hard on us, LG -- Voyager or Vu? Decisions, decisions!
Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson K850i
For most, the thought of spending $500 or more on a phone conjures one of two images: a high-end, do-it-all smartphone, or for 98 percent of the populace, insanity. There's a rare breed out there, though, that'll gladly shell out serious dough to get that ultimate, well executed, gorgeous, glossy phone delivered from the furthest reaches of the globe. Notice we said "phone" -- not smartphone -- and that's a key distinction here. The Sony Ericsson K850i blurs that line in some respects, but at the end of the day, you're paying some serious dinero for a powerful piece of kit that's still fundamentally tied down by its closed, proprietary platform. Yep, that's right, the K850i's a dumbphone -- albeit one of the hottest dumbphones we've ever seen or used, complete with triband HSDPA. So is the price justified? Does Sony Ericsson have any business stuffing this much power into a non-UIQ handset to begin with? We're pretty sure it's "yes" on both counts; read on to find out why.Thanks to the good folks at Wireless Imports for the hookup!%Gallery-9369%
Sony Ericsson K850i gets unboxed
Sony Ericsson's K850i candybar is likely going to be the subject of intense scrutiny around here, representing one of the company's first volley of North American 3G handsets -- and, oh yeah, there's that bit about a possible AT&T launch, too. It ain't a smartphone, but the 5 megapixel lens slapped on the back catapults it into high-end territory anyhow -- so we're delighted to see a few finally floating around in retail channels after the phone's June announcement. Boy Genius Report is in the process of putting the K850 through the proverbial ringer; we're digging what we're seeing so far (automatic lens open / close is pretty nifty, we have to admit) but we'll have to wait until we see a full rundown before we start jumping to conclusions. Of course, here's the million-dollar question: is it an N95 killer in the unlocked, US 3G market?
A veritable gaggle of AT&T rumors (hint: red iPhone?)
This here supposed AT&T inventory sheet that fell into our laps today reads like an indecisive power user's wish list -- the Prada's great, the Z9's okay if you're into that sort of thing, and the K850a finally moves AT&T into high-end camera territory. But what's this, a red iPhone? Seriously? Catch up on all the haps over at Engadget Mobile!Read - "Deep red" iPhoneRead - Sony Ericsson Z750a, K850aRead - LG Prada, Samsung BlackJack II, Motorola Z9
Finally, 3G: AT&T picking up Sony Ericsson Z750a, K850a?
It looks like Sony Ericsson may be taking a slightly more high-road approach to its first 3G handsets for North America than Nokia did with the N95, pairing up with AT&T all official-like for the Z750a and K850a. This inventory sheet, apparently off of an AT&T system, indicates as much -- and yes, we realize it's totally Photoshoppable, but the Z750 and K850 both seem like obvious additions for the carrier, don't they? Sony Ericsson could try to sell the phones directly through SonyStyle as it does with other models, but you figure that if they're going to put the effort into finally adding North American 3G, they're going to try to go big by launching it in AT&T stores. With a 5 megapixel camera on the K850, who's complaining?[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Sony Ericsson gets official on the W910 and K850
For you Walkman / Cyber-shot buffs out there who've been dying to get your hands on some new phoneage -- look no further. The Sony-Ericsson dreamteam have just announced the official release of two of its new mobile phones sure to have player haters... um, player hating. The W910, which we took a look at back in June, apparently has music-playin' on its mind, though with HSDPA, a 1GB Memory Stick, and its "shake" feature (which allows you to jostle the device to switch songs or randomize playback), you might find other uses for it. If you're more of an Ansel Adams-type, you can get your mitts on the K850, a camera-minded phone that's got a considerable 5-megapixel camera (with a Xenon flash / video light), has more of that beloved HSDPA, and can do 30fps video -- if that's your thing. Both of these sweet babies will be available in "selected markets" this month, no word on price.
Sony Ericsson K850 gets reviewed
The decked-out Sony Ericsson K850 has been thoroughly sifted through the review grinder by our pals over at mobile-review.com. The K850 is so packed that there were two parts to the review, and this one focuses on then phone itself (instead of the exhaustive digital camera functions). Positives seen by Eldar and the crew include an easy-to-use and touch-sensitive 'blocky' keypad with a unique d-pad design (that green rectangle), GPRS / EDGE / UMTS, excellent (and cutting-edge) Java support, obligatory A2DP Bluetooth, that sweet 5 megapixel cam and an overall ergonomic delight to use. This thing is loaded to the hilt, to say the least. Use the read link to glean more deets available in the exhaustive review.[via Just Another Mobile Phone Blog]
Sony Ericsson K850 / K530 handsets get spotted
No sooner than Sony Ericsson goes and makes the K850 and K530 (amongst many others) official, it looks like there's already been some hands-on action with a pair. Reportedly snapped at the recent Sony Ericsson product launch in Hong Kong, the five-megapixel K850 cameraphone was oohed and ahhed over, but the not-exactly-soft soft keys and lack of backlighting seemed to be a bit of a drag. The K530 was admittedly in early prototype mode, so not much was known other than it still sported the generic model designation of SE123. But hey, at least the photos waiting after the jump will somewhat quell your insatiable desire for more details about these mobiles.Read - Sony Ericsson K850Read - Sony Ericsson K530
Sony Ericsson makes K850, W910, W960, others official
Yeah, the new batch of watches is pretty cool, but let's be honest -- at the end of the day, the handsets themselves are the real deal, and Sony Ericsson didn't disappoint with today's reveals. The Gracenote slip-up outed the three hottest of the bunch, the K850, W910, and W960. The K850 is the follow-on to the lauded K790 / K800 with a 5 megapixel cam, NetFront browser, and tri-band HSDPA (North American bands mercifully included) and quadband GSM plus EDGE. The W910 and W960 are beasts of Walkman phones, offering 3G data, 2 megapixel and 3.2 megapixel cams respectively, and -- in the case of the W960 -- UIQ 3.1 and a full 8GB of onboard storage. Also-rans in today's lineup include the not-for-US-consumption K530, a 14mm 3G candybar, and the low-end Z250 and Z320 flips. Look for 'em all in the second half of the year. Check Engadget Mobile for a plethora of eye candy!Read - Z320 and K850Read - W910 and W960Read - K530Read - Z250
Gracenote trumps Sony Ericsson -- announces W910, W960, and K850
Oh my. Looks like Gracenote has unintentionally stolen Sony Ericsson's thunder by outing their phones before SE's "next big thing" later today. According to their press release, Gracenote's mobile music service will be embedded on the "new Walkman models W910, W960 and the K850 Cyber-shot." Of course, there's still some mystery as we don't yet know which internal codename -- Sofia, Maria/Mooi, Shinobu, or possibly others -- matches up with those new product numbers. As to Gracenote, well they'll provide search and discovery, song ID and playlisting, and allow users to transfer music between home libraries, on-line music stores, and their new SE phones. But really, it's only the phones you're interested in right? Update: Well, well now BelgiqueMobile seems to have the leaked pics and specs: 5 megapixel cybershot K850i with HSDPA/EDGE; W910 HSDPA Walkman 3.0 slider with 2 megapixel camera; W960 Walkman Touch player with UIQ 3.1, WiFi, and 3.2 megapixel camera. There's more, but not more if you knowwhutamean?[Thanks, Thomas B. and CedricG]
